Jesus Is Our Greatest Friend Because of His Love For Us  

John 13:1-17                                                                                                                                                  Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

Key Verse: 13:1                                                                   11/16/12   DuPage/NIU UBF Fall Bible Conference at COD campus

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”  (All verses in NIV 1984)

    I thank God for this fall Bible school. We are blessed in two ways. We can begin the semester with the Gospel in our hearts and we can also prepare our hearts to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving, which is next Thursday. As a Christian, there are so many reasons to be thankful. But one of the greatest reasons is that Jesus is a friend of sinners, like me. In the last lesson we saw Jesus is a friend of sinners, by being our good shepherds who laid down his life for all of us. In today’s lesson we will see how Jesus is a friend of sinners through loving us and serving us, bearing all of our sins and weaknesses continually. May Jesus wash your spiritual feet today.

Part 1: Jesus Loves His Disciples Completely (1-3)

It was a trying time for Jesus. Verse 1a reads, “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. …” Jesus’ crucifixion was fast approaching and he was fully aware of his upcoming suffering and death. Jesus also knew about Judas had decided to betray him. Any normal person would have been filled with grief, anxiety and anger. But Jesus did not retreat into himself. Rather his heart turned first to his Father in heaven and then to his disciples. Concerning his disciples, he was thought about two things; how to reveal his love to them, and how his disciples could love one another.

First, Jesus revealed the love of God to his disciples. Verse 1b reads, “…Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”  The 2011 NIV says, “He loved them to the end.” Jesus loved his disciples during the entirety of his earthly ministry. He loved them unconditionally and faithfully, completely forgiving them of their sins. Jesus’ love is God’s love. God’s love is different from human love. Psalm 136 repeats 26 times, “His love endures for­ever.” Human love is conditional. God’s love is un­con­­di­tional. God loves us when we are doing well, and God loves us when we are not doing well. Human love ends eventually. God’s love is steady, unchanging and everlasting. His love endures forever.

The disciples did not always reciprocate Jesus’ love. Look at verse 2, “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon, to betray Jesus.”  Judas was not satisfied with Jesus’ love. He wanted something more. At this blessed meal he became very critical and closed hearted.

It was not easy for Jesus to love his disciples. Jesus knew about Judas. Jesus also knew that Peter would deny him three times. This did not stop Jesus from showing his love to them. He had a great victory over his feelings and emotions that would stop anyone else from loving others. God knows us completely, as Jesus knew his disciples. Still, he loves us to the end. Praise God for his great love for sinners!

What is the secret of Jesus’ power to love? Look at verse 3, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”  Jesus could love like this because he kept the “big picture” in his heart, trusting in the sovereign will of the Father. With this faith he could freely love even the most unlovely.

Second, Jesus showed his disciples his love practically. Jesus did not just talk about love…he showed them. Verses 4-5 read; ^“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” They all sat down, getting ready to eat this sacred last supper together. Their nostrils caught the aroma of the delicious meal being cooked. But then their nostrils caught smells that were not originating from the kitchen but from their….own feet! Where were the foot washers that were supposed to wash the guests’ feet? Everyone wore sandals. The roads were dusty from dirt and pulverized, dried animal dung. Feet were dry, worn, cracked. Yikes! Guests treated feet washers with disdain. No one wanted to do this job. Each of the disciples thought that someone else should do it.

Jesus was perplexed. Why wasn’t someone jumping up and assuming the job as the foot washer? Did they not yet learn the essentials of leadership even after 3 1/2 years of discipleship? Jesus was not disappointed. Rather, Jesus decided to use this opportunity to help his disciples know his love. And so he did something remarkable. Jesus, the Holy God, got up from the table, laid aside his outer garments, wrapped a towel around him, and began to wash his disciples’ feet. Jesus humbled himself to the lowest place. In doing so he showed them vividly what love is.

Love involves humility. In order to break through the separation and the darkness caused by our sin, Jesus took on a servant’s role. As sinners, we could never ascend to Jesus. He is holy. He is divine. But Jesus came to us, humbl­ing himself, serving us, ultimately  suffering and dying on the cross so we may be forgiven and have eternal life. Jesus sent the promised Holy Spirit. Dwelling in our hearts by the Spirit, Jesus continues to love all believers. This is true love.

Part ll: Peter’s Reaction (6-11)

Jesus washed the feet of the disciples one by one. They all stared in amazement their mouths wide open! Eventually Jesus came to Peter in verses 6-8a, “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”   Peter was shocked. It was hard for him to accept Jesus’ expression of love. It turned Peter’s world view upside down for Peter thought that no one in Jesus’ position should ever wash feet. He also didn’t want to expose his own worn feet, full of imperfections, to Jesus. This is like a person who does not want to confess his sins or come to Jesus just as they are.

Peter might have thought he was humble. But he was very proud in a negative sense. It was keeping him from tasting God’s love. Jesus wanted Peter to trust him and accept this foot washing by faith. Later he would understand everything. It was imperative. In verse 8b, Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  It could happen to us. The fact is, we must simply accept the love of God. When the Lord wants to wash us, we must extend our dirty feet to him. Then he will cleanse us so that we may be in Christ.

When Peter realized he had to choose between Jesus’ word and his own idea, he changed his mind saying, “Then Lord, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” He accepted Jesus’ words, but he also made an extreme statement that went far beyond what Jesus required. And so Jesus corrected him in verses 10-11, ^“Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.”  Jesus compares having a clean body to re­ceiv­ing the word of God and having a clean mind and heart for the first time. In John 15:3 Jesus said to his disciples, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” When we initially come to Jesus, he washes us through his word. Accepting one word of Jesus, cleanses our minds and hearts from all our dirty sins. The word justifies us to be right with God and he gives us eternal life. We have assurance that we belong to Christ. Peter had already been washed clean by Jesus’ word. He needed only to have his feet washed because like all of us, he walked in a world full of sin and temptations. The disciples needed to only wash their feet by coming to Jesus in repentance and in faith.

 lll: Jesus Taught Them The Spiritual Meaning of Foot Washing (12-17)

We have all received the forgiving and cleansing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. But now what? Thanksgiving must be the first response of course, but listen to what Jesus told his disciples in verses 12-14, “ When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” They needed to wash one another’s feet showing God’s love to one another. 

   Disciples of Jesus must be like Jesus. Look at verses 15-17, ^“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” There is a special blessing for those who also follow through and do it. (13:17) What do you think that special blessing is? There are so many blessings that come from loving as Jesus loved us. You will have peace of heart that you are doing the right thing before God. You will know the love of God more personally. You will have a deep sense of victory. You will have the joy of knowing that God is in you and working through you to bring the Gospel to the world. Jesus will be glorified. Can you think of any other blessings?

In today’s passage we learned that Jesus loves us completely. He wants us to love and serve each other, following his example. That is Christian love…loving to the end. That is the key to a fruitful, blessed and victorious Christian life. This is the key to sharing the Gospel. It begins when we accept the love of God for ourselves. Come to Jesus. Admit that you are in a desperate need of a wash. Then accept the challenge to do as Jesus did for you…wash the feet of those whom God have brought into your life. You will be blessed if you do.